

workshops work
Dr Myriam Hadnes
Welcome to “workshops work,” the podcast that transforms how professionals engage, inspire, and lead groups. Ranked among the top 5% most popular podcasts globally, it is hosted by Dr Myriam Hadnes, a behavioural economist and facilitation expert. Each episode delves into the techniques and mindsets that make workshops truly impactful.Join us every week as we sit down with world-renowned facilitators and uncover their secrets to creating psychological safety, fostering collaboration, and sparking innovation. Whether you’re a Facilitator, L&D professional, HR leader, manager, coach or trainer, you’ll find practical tips, inspiring stories, and actionable insights to elevate your group dynamics.From navigating conflict to unlocking creativity, “workshops work” blends theory with practice, ensuring you walk away with tools you can immediately apply. Dr Myriam Hadnes doesn’t just interview; she facilitates enriching conversations that shift perspectives and deepen understanding.Subscribe now to change the world, one workshop at a time.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 10, 2024 • 1h 11min
286 - The Art of Slowing Down: Thoughtful Facilitation with Marike Groenewald & Clinton du Preez
Defiant slowness: it’s a salve, a rebellion, and a lifelong endeavour when we have been taught to live fast, 100mph lives. Because only when we turn down the speedometer, can we be present enough to think deeply, connect to ourselves, bond with others, and experience the joys of simply being.It’s why Marike and Clinton relish slowness in their facilitation practice, carving out interludes that delight in the details, welcome appreciation into the room, nurture real relationships, and create the breathing space for intention.We explore the beautiful macrocosm of slowing down in episode 286. Woven with wonderful stories, aha! moments and words you will want to press pause upon, Marike and Clinton bring a rich, eloquent perspective to facilitating with thought.Find out about:Why slowing down can help us to be more thoughtful, purposeful and connectedHow to address difficult participant behaviours with curiosity, rather than judgmentWhy genuine, deep relationships often comes at the price of discomfortThe importance of delighting in the details, both inside and beyond the workshop spaceDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Marike and Clinton:Marike GroenewaldClinton du PreezWebsiteShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Sep 3, 2024 • 1h 21min
285 - Creating Safe Spaces for Conflict, Resilience and Recovery with Scott Winter
As the old adage goes, failing to prepare, is preparing to fail. But how do you prepare for something as catastrophic as a natural disaster?Scott Winter helps people, teams and organisations to struggle more effectively and step into their greatness. He’s done so for communities in California to recover from the devastation of wildfires, as well as countless others, showing up with life-affirming purpose, humanity and presence as a facilitator, to re-mould stress into hardy resilience for the future.In this brilliant and vulnerable conversation, he shares his work in co-regulating mindsets, how to make it easy to talk about difficult things, and why with the right tools, every experience can be turned into a learning opportunity.Find out about:How to create safe spaces that address high-stress situations with rationalityThe three Rs of resilience: Readiness, Response, and RecoveryThe art and science of asking questionsLearn about the Red Zone, Green Zone, Pink Zone frameworkDifficultating: how to facilitate difficult conversationsHow to mindfully embrace triggers in othersThe importance of asking: what do we not want to take into the room?Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Scott Winter:LinkedInWebsiteShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

7 snips
Aug 27, 2024 • 1h 15min
284 - Reimagining Company Culture with Play and Connection with Emily Hinks
Emily Hinks, a passionate mischief maker, advocates for joy and human connection in the workplace. She shares insights on enhancing company culture through playful engagement and effective facilitation. Discover the ROI of authentic connections and why team values matter. Learn how to improve meeting dynamics and ensure every voice is heard. Hinks emphasizes the importance of nurturing relationships like gardens, and how embracing mischief can elevate workplace morale and creativity.

Aug 20, 2024 • 1h 12min
283 - Playing Other People’s Game by our Rules with Dan Newman
Dan Newman, a seasoned consultant and facilitator, shares insights from his nearly 30-year career in solving complex organizational problems. He discusses the transformative power of facilitation, advocating for creativity over traditional consulting methods. The conversation delves into the significance of cultural communication and how music can enhance group dynamics. Dan also emphasizes overcoming organizational constraints and the importance of sponsor engagement in workshops, all while playfully suggesting he might fine clients for breaking their own rules!

Aug 13, 2024 • 1h 13min
282 - Unlocking Embodiment: The Hidden Key to Effective Facilitation with Mark Walsh
Mark Walsh, an embodiment expert and trainer, discusses reconnecting the mind and body for effective facilitation. He shares insights from his experience teaching in conflict zones and practicing aikido. Key topics include centering techniques, the importance of physical awareness in workshops, and how body language influences communication. Walsh emphasizes the need for authenticity and vulnerability in teaching, linking emotional release to physical movement and discussing the impact of a healthy money mindset on creativity and group dynamics.

Aug 6, 2024 • 1h 19min
281 - Mastering Difficult Conversations: Insights on Effective Leadership with Paul Falcone
As my guest this week will tell you: to avoid a difficult conversation, is to choose the path of least resistance. But when leaders choose the easy way out? Nothing good ever comes from it; only rising frustrations, anxieties, and eventually, resignations.Luckily for us, Paul Falcone has had every difficult conversation in the book - and he’s written 17 of them! A three-decade career in HR, a stint as a Universal Studios tour guide grappling with grumpy guests, and now a workplace leadership consultant, Paul has learnt to master workplace friction with grace, empathy and a helping of storytelling. The secret? Facilitation, of course!Find out how to become a more vulnerable, self-aware manager, why we must reframe resistance, and the art of leading with an iron fist and a velvet glove.Find out about:How to approach confrontation with empathy, encouragement and motivationWhy mindset, skillset and self-care are vital for effective leadershipHow to handle difficult managers through considered, non-violent communicationThe importance of building your front-line leadership muscleThe ROI of raising your team’s awarenessDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Paul Falcone:LinkedIn WebsiteAmazon Author PageHarperCollins Leadership Author PageYouTube ChannelShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

7 snips
Jul 30, 2024 • 1h 7min
280 - Beyond Advice: The Coaching Habit for Facilitative Leaders with Michael Bungay Stanier
Michael Bungay Stanier, author of the bestseller The Coaching Habit, shares his insights from years of coaching and crisis intervention. He emphasizes the importance of staying curious longer before giving advice, a lesson shaped by his hotline experience. Listeners learn how to foster team autonomy, ask better questions starting with 'what,' and the transformative power of a coaching mindset. He highlights the need for authenticity in communication and the delicate balance of authority and collaboration in facilitation.

Jul 23, 2024 • 1h 28min
279 - Facilitation with More Doing and Less Talking with Adam StJohn Lawrence
Words: they are abundantly, inescapably, everywhere in the world of work. Emails, documents, post-its, briefs, meetings, hushed whispers across the office. So why is it that so many organisations still find themselves on the wrong page from one another?Ask the multi-talented master of service design thinking, stand-up comedy, theatrical design and psychology-zoology, Adam StJohn Lawrence, and he will tell you that words, actually, get in the way of true collaboration and understanding.Intrigued? Spend an hour and a half with Adam’s fascinating anecdotes, knowledge and insights to learn how to be a more effective communicator and facilitator - without speaking.Find out about:How to express reality and achieve results in non-verbal waysThe effectiveness of prototypes over word-based documentsHow to reframe roleplay into a judgement-free, comfortable spaceHow to ease corporate clients into more interactive, playful sessionsThe 3 questions to ask for effective projectsDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Adam:LinkedInBooks and schools: www.tisdd.comGlobal Jams: www.globaljams.orgwww.cocreationschool.comShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Jul 16, 2024 • 48min
278 - Understanding the Difference between a Facilitator and a Trainer with The NDB Course Faculty
Over the years, I’ve had many magnificent facilitators in the podcast chair who identify as trainers, and many talented trainers who identify as facilitators. Where does the line blur? Is there a line? Dare I ask, should there be?We settle it once and for all in this special LinkedIn Live conversation with my NDB Course Faculty! We discuss why Facilitation and Training exist on a spectrum with fluctuating frequencies of knowledge sharing, leadership, emergence and ownership - ultimately both trying to achieve change from differing angles.Join us for a purist vs freethinker exploration, as we navigate assumptions, challenge definitions, and colour in the Facilitator-Trainer spectrum.Find out about:The key differences between the role of Facilitation and TrainingWhy it’s important to consider linguistic distinctions and nuances when defining terms such as Facilitator and TrainerWhy facilitators leverage the knowledge in the room, and trainers bridge gaps of knowledge in the roomThe role of emergence in training and how to design workshops that make space for itClient expectations: why it’s vital to educate clients on the difference between the two rolesWhere leadership exists in the spectrum of training and facilitationDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Share your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!

Jul 9, 2024 • 1h 17min
277 - Facilitating Stress Reduction with Liminal Coaching and Metaphor Mapping with Mike Parker
Imagine a landscape. Perhaps a snow-capped mountain top, studded with pine trees and whispers of clouds. Maybe a bird flutters past. Are there people there, or are you alone with the birds?If only daydreaming from your desk was seen as something to be revered - encouraged even, free from judgement. Well, Mike Parker is here to tell you why it should be! For when we let our minds wander from our day, it can be a potent balm for burnout, stress, and anxiety, and a cure for creative blockages.In this week’s beautiful and deeply fascinating episode, Mike introduces us to the power of deliberate daydreaming, metaphor mapping, liminal coaching and guided relaxation. I hope it carves out an hour of calming creativity for you to let your mind wander fully and freely.Find out about:The work of Mike’s Liminal Coaching, inspired by solutions-focused hypnotherapyWhat metaphor mapping is and why it can help us recognise and reframe problemsThe power of calming the parasympathetic nervous system through liminal pomodoro techniqueWhy guided relaxations offer neurodivergent people a less restrictive outlet than meditationThe serotonin-inducing power of recalling pleasurable momentsThe importance of recognising intrinsic, oppressive frameworks in impacting the burnout of minority groupsDon’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player.Links:Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.Connect to Mike Parker:LinkedInLiminal CoachingShare your thoughts about our conversation!Support the show✨✨✨Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more:https://workshops.work/podcast✨✨✨Did you know? You can search all episodes by keyword to find exactly what you need via our Buzzsprout page!


